Monarch Joint Venture Blog
USFWS Seeks Public Input on Monarch Butterfly ESA Listing
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) has announced a proposed rule to list the monarch butterfly as threatened under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), accompanied by a 4(d) rule and critical habitat designation. As part of this process, the USFWS is seeking public input during a 90-day comment period, open from December 12, 2024, to March 12, 2025. Read More
MJV Calls for Increased Collaboration as USFWS Proposes Monarchs as a Threatened Species
A proposal to list the monarch butterfly as threatened with an accompanying 4(d) rule and critical habitat designations represents a significant milestone and strengthens the call to action for species conservation efforts. Read More
A New Era: Prairie Oaks Institute Passes the Torch to Monarch Joint Venture
Change is the heartbeat of progress, and today, we at the Monarch Joint Venture (MJV) stand at the threshold of a remarkable transformation. With gratitude and anticipation, we are excited to announce the acquisition of a beautiful and cherished farm and nature campus in Belle Plaine, Minnesota. This 20-acre property was gifted to us by the Prairie Oaks Institute at Robert Creek and has a long line of conservation stewards and caretakers. We are honored to continue this legacy of land stewardship and embrace this location as an embodiment of our conservation mission. Read More
Eastern Monarch Butterfly Population Falls to Less than One Hectare in the 2023-2024 Overwintering Season
Monarch butterflies occupied 0.9 hectares, 1.31 less than the 2.21 hectares in the 2022-2023 overwintering season. This is the first time since the 2013-2014 overwintering season that the eastern monarch population has occupied less than one hectare. Read More
Western Monarch Count Declines
Over 400 volunteers surveyed 256 overwintering sites this winter, tallying a total of 233,394 monarch butterflies across the western overwintering sites. Read More